This website is devoted to those concerned about the welfare of The Walt Disney Company and its future direction. Stan Gold and I plan to use this site as a central information location as we begin to restore Disney to its position as the preeminent entertainment company in the world. We have also provided a mechanism for all interested parties to provide ideas, comments, concerns and input, and we sincerely hope that you will communicate with us.
I thank you for your concern about this wonderful Company founded by my father and uncle more than 80 years ago whose sole motivation was to provide lasting and wholesome entertainment to people around the world. I seek your support as we embark on this extremely important mission to restore the magic and wonder to The Walt Disney Company.
Sincerely,
Roy E. Disney
Who is Roy E. Disney?
Roy Edward Disney served as vice chairman of the board of directors of The Walt Disney Company and chairman of Walt Disney Animation from 1984 until 2003.
Disney assumed the responsibility for providing overall guidance and direction to the Animation Department in 1984. This was his first full-time role at the studio since 1977.
Earlier, he served Disney for 25 years in various capacities, including vice president in charge of the company's wildlife films, producer, director and writer. He became a member of the board of directors in 1967
Concurrently, he maintains business interests outside Disney. He is chairman of Shamrock Holdings, Inc., a wholly owned family enterprise that he organized in 1978, with headquarters in Burbank, Calif.
He began his entertainment industry career in 1953, working as an assistant film editor on the "Dragnet" TV series.
He joined The Walt Disney Company in 1954 and served as assistant film editor on motion pictures, including "The Living Desert" and "The Vanishing Prairie," both Academy Award® winners.
As a writer and production associate, he received an Academy Award® nomination for his work on the short subject "Mysteries of the Deep" in 1959.
From writing, Disney went on to produce and direct some 35 other TV and theatrical productions, then became an independent producer and investor.
Disney was born in Los Angeles Jan. 10, 1930, to Roy O. Disney and Edna Francis Disney. His father and his uncle Walt co-founded the Disney entertainment business.
He attended Harvard School and Pomona College, where he graduated in 1951 with a major in English.
He serves on the board of trustees of California Institute of the Arts, the advisory board of St. Joseph Medical Center and the board of Big Brothers/Big Sisters of Greater Los Angeles, Inc.
He is a member of the board of directors of the United States Committee for UNICEF, chairman emeritus of the board of directors of the Peregrine Fund and a member of the board of trustees of Ronald McDonald House charities.
In 1997, he was awarded the first "Mort Walker Award for Outstanding Contributions to the Cartoon Industry," by the Boca Raton International Museum of Cartoon Art.
Disney received honorary Doctor of Fine Arts degrees from his alma mater, Pomona College, and from Mercy College. In 2003, California Institute of Arts selected him for an honorary Doctor of Fine Arts degree.
Disney was a recipient of the 1999 National Catholic Education Association Elizabeth Ann Seton Award, which recognizes individuals who have made significant contributions to children and education. In April of 1999, Disney received the Henry Bergh Humane Award from the ASPCA, and in the Spring of 2000, he was awarded the Inaugural Environmental Leadership Award from the Audubon Society.
Married in 1955 to Patricia Ann Dailey, Disney is the father of four children -- Roy Patrick, Susan Margaret, Abigail Edna and Timothy John Disney. He is the grandfather of thirteen.
Disney's outside interests include offshore yacht racing and he holds numerous elapsed-time records for race passages on the Pacific Ocean, including the Transpace Race from Los Angeles to Honolulu.
Is Roy E. Disney Walt's brother?
The late Roy O. Disney was Walt's brother and co-founder of Walt Disney Productions. Roy E. Disney is his son, Walt's nephew.
"Like the old farmer, you've got to pour it back into the ground if you want to get it out." Walt Disney
"I believe that our mission has always been to be bringers of joy, to be affirmers of the good in each of us, to be - in subtle ways - teachers, and to speak, as Walt once said, "not to children but to the child in each of us," by way of great storytelling, by way of giving our guests a few hours in another world where their cares can be momentarily put aside, and by way of the memories of those moments that remain with people forever."
—Roy E. Disney
Save Disney for Future Generations
"Disney is not just another company. It is an American icon. Will the Comcast bid prove to be the stimulus that finally stirs the Disney board to awake from its acquiescence and lethargy and live up to its responsibilities? Shareholders can only hope."
-Stanley P. Gold
Editor's Note: I would ad that Disney is not just an American icon, but the World Cultural Heritage. People who were born in this country do not have the vision of it's domestic values that are important world wide and as well appreciated. Micky Mouse is not a symbol of imperialism as someone would like it to present, but a symbol of innocence that we do not dare to lose. The vision or Walt & Roy Disney is the last line of defense of decency in entertainment. The way CEOs value their time with excessive compensation (more than $700 million in a few years. From 1996 till 2003 - my God... I have no comment), our innocence is melting away rapidly.
One would ask a question, what is it your business, unless you are a shareholder? First, this is for Disney shareholders, but even more for the general public. Yes, we should and we will protest when art like Disney is being treated like a cheap commodity. Quality is the word that is associated with Disney and it should stay that way. Read www.SaveDisney.com send your opinion and support to Mr. Roy Disney and Stanley Gold and join us, shareholder or not, on March 2nd in Philadelphia. If not, voice your opinion locally in your newspapers, radio & TV shows, schools, clubs etc.
The following interview with Walt Disney was conducted by NBC in 1966. On the surface, in his highly informal, friendly way, Walt's business philosophy seems relatively simplistic. Translated, however, it provides an understanding as to why he was so highly rated by the business world. NBC: Walt, why did you pick Anaheim as the site for Disneyland? WALT: The Disneyland concept kept growing and growing and it finally ended up where I felt I needed two-three hundred acres. So, I wanted it in the Southern California area, there were certain things that I felt that I needed, such as flat land, because I wanted to make own hills. I didn't want it near the ocean, I wanted it sort of inland, so I had a survey group go out and hunt for areas that might be useful. And they finally came back with several different areas and we settled on Anaheim because the price of the acreage was right. But there was more to it than that. And that is that Anaheim was sort of a growing area. The freeway projection was such that we could see that the freeway would set Anaheim as sort of a hub. Well, that's how we selected Anaheim. NBC: Do you feel Anaheim has lived up to expectations? WALT: In every way, the city fathers have been wonderful. They've given us wonderful cooperation right from the start and they are still cooperating. NBC: What has been your biggest problem? WALT: Well, I'd say it's been my biggest problem all my life - it's money. It takes a lot of money to make these dreams come true. From the very start it was a problem of getting the money to open Disneyland. About 17 million dollars it took. We had everything mortgaged, including my family. We were able to get it open and for ten or eleven years now we've been pouring more money back in. In other words, like the old farmer, you've got to pour it back into the ground if you want to get it out. That's been my brother's philosophy and mine too. NBC: What plans for the future do you have at Disneyland? WALT: There's a little plaque out there that says, "As long as there is imagination left in the world, Disneyland will never be complete." We have big plans. This year, we finished over $20 million in new things. Next June, I hope, we'll have a new Tomorrowland; and starting from the ground up, building a whole new Tomorrowland. And it's going to run about $20 million bucks. NBC: What steps have you taken to see that Disneyland will always be good, family entertainment? WALT: Well, by this time, my staff, my young group of executives are convinced that Walt is right, that quality will win out, and so I think they will stay with this policy because it's proven it's a good business policy. Give the public everything you can give them, keep the place as clean as you can keep it, keep it friendly - I think they're convinced and I think they'll hang on after - as you say, "after Disney."
Thus, in the space of a brief, four-minute interview, Walt Disney covered no less than eight business considerations which went into the decision making process affecting Disneyland. Masterplanning... analyzing alternatives... evaluating costs... growth potential... working with government... taking risks... looking at investments and re-investment... up-grading, continually improving the product.
There is an old adage in the film industry... "You're only as good as your last picture." Actually, in business anywhere today, the standard is even tougher: "you're only as good as next year's results." Success today is not a vaccine for future economic ills. Many great businesses at one time or another, practically institutions and permanent fixtures on the American scene, have fallen by the wayside. Ironically, among the publishing giants on hand in 1955 as Disneyland struggled through its "Black Sunday" press opening were Look magazine, Collier's, The Saturday Evening Post, and Life. And among the cars in the parking lot were new Hudsons, Studebakers, Packards, and DeSotos. In 1955, they all had a vital, thriving part in the American scene. By 1975 they were all gone... along with dozens of other companies with long histories and great traditions.
Realistically speaking, what guarantee does the Disney organization have that some competition, perhaps not even in existence as we know it today, doesn't surpass us or worse yet... gain control of our organization? Walt Disney developed his own guarantee. He always said that we could never stand still. He had to explore, innovate and experiment and he was never satisfied with his work.
"If any of you starts to rest on your laurels, forget it," he told his staff. That was his guarantee for the future.
(An archival article from the mid-70's.)
The Eisner Effect By Stanley P. Gold As Published in The Wall Street Journal February 20, 2004
At a time when the once-obscure issue of corporate governance has become a front-page concern, company directors who used to view their positions as sinecures are finding themselves on the hot seat. It's not easy to ride herd on a chief executive whom you probably like, at whose table you've probably supped, and to whom you probably owe your position. But that's what directors are expected to do in the aftermath of Enron, Adelphia and Tyco.
Perhaps the toughest challenge a board can encounter is facing up to its responsibilities when a CEO has clearly outlived his usefulness, which is to say when his strategies or management style cause more problems than they solve. At major corporations, CEOs tend not to be shrinking violets. Typically, they are powerful, self-assured personalities who don't like being told what to do, much less being told it's time to leave. Delivering this sort of message to such an outsized figure -- and then enforcing it -- requires real courage. But in the end, that's what a board is there to do. A board's ability to assert its authority is the ultimate measure of whether or not its members are actually serving the company and the stockholders whose interests they are supposed to represent.
What happens when a board is unable to muster the resolve necessary to confront a CEO? As it happens, I have some personal experience in this area. More than two months ago, Roy Disney and I resigned as directors of the Walt Disney Company to protest just such a failure of nerve. As Roy and I made clear over the last several weeks, we tendered our resignations after several years of trying to work from within to make the Disney board more responsive to shareholders. The problem, as we saw it, was two-fold: a CEO in Michael Eisner who would not brook criticism, foster talent or groom a successor; and a board that was unwilling or unable even to question, let alone challenge him.
This unfortunate combination has been problematic for Disney, costing the company its focus, its creative energy, and its position as the world's leading creator of family entertainment. While Disney has posted some improved numbers of late, they are neither sustainable nor do they come close to making up for nearly a decade of substandard performance. The fact is, even after the company's gains in 2003, its operating income is only back to slightly more than what it was in 1996. And this is after reinvesting approximately $15 billion over this period.
In particular, one has only to consider the dismal state of the ABC Television Network, the decline of the company's signature theme parks, and the mediocre performance of such expensive cable assets as ABC Family -- not to mention Mr. Eisner's inability to maintain key creative relationships with both longtime employees and outside partners -- to see that something is seriously wrong with the way Disney is being managed. Not surprisingly, Mr. Eisner dismissively rejects this view of his stewardship. Be that as it may, it happens to be precisely what motivated Comcast, the largest cable company, to launch an unexpected takeover bid for Disney last week.
The Disney board initially rejected Comcast's offer, but the issues Comcast raised won't be so easily dismissed. In explaining to reporters what led his company to target Disney, Comcast Cable's president, Steve Burke, singled out a number of areas in which he thought the company was falling way short of its potential. Interestingly enough, Comcast's analysis of where and how Disney management has dropped the ball virtually mirrored our own critique. In Mr. Burke's view, the weak spots included the ABC network ("a weak number four [that] doesn't make very much money, despite the fact that CBS, Fox, and NBC make between $800 million and $1.3 billion a year"), ABC Family ("making very little money, and certainly not a fair return on investment"), the theme parks ("there's room for revitalization and improvement") and the creative brain-drain that, among other things, has eviscerated Disney animation ("since about 1999, the Disney animated studios have not produced . . . quality product[s]").
It's worth noting, by the way, that Mr. Burke's knowledge of Disney is anything but secondhand. Before joining Comcast, he was a senior executive at Disney for 12 years, an effective theme-park manager and the driving force behind the early success of the Disney stores. Unfortunately, he was also one of the many talented people who left the company during Mr. Eisner's tenure. Indeed, the fact that someone like Steve Burke is currently on the outside looking in, rather than on the inside making things happen, tells you everything you need to know about what is wrong with the way Disney is being run these days.
In my view, Mr. Eisner's overbearing style and intrusive micro-management of everyone around him has undermined morale throughout the company and led to an exodus of creative talent from Disney. The recent collapse of Disney's vitally important relationship with Pixar alone is a debacle that I believe could cost the company hundreds of millions of dollars in lost future revenues. Indeed, it's not too much to say that under Mr. Eisner the company has become the opposite of what the Walt Disney Company used to stand for.
Of course, what has allowed Mr. Eisner to get away with all this is a passive board of directors that essentially abdicated its responsibility to shareholders. Rather than tackle the difficult issues facing Disney, the board has consistently preferred to devote its time and energies to adopting policies that focus on process rather than substance, and serve only to muzzle and isolate those directors who recognize that their role is to be active participants in shaping the company's future. As Institutional Shareholder Services recently noted: "For 20 years Disney's revolving door for board members and management has had one constant -- Mr. Eisner."
Disney is not just another company. It is an American icon. Will the Comcast bid prove to be the stimulus that finally stirs the Disney board to awake from its acquiescence and lethargy and live up to its responsibilities? Shareholders can only hope.
Mr. Gold, a former board member of the Walt Disney Company, is president and CEO of Shamrock Holdings, Inc.
Maccabi Tel Aviv signed Croatian center Bruno Sundov
Basketball / Mac. TA signs Bruno Sundov
By Eli Sahar
Maccabi Tel Aviv signed Croatian center Bruno Sundov yesterday to replace Yoav Saffar, who has been suffering from a knee injury and may be unable to return to action this season. Sundov signed with Maccabi until the end of the season with an option for another year. Anton Kazarnovski will be loaned to Haifa/Ramat Hasharon as a result of the move.
The 2.18 center will only be eligible to play for Maccabi in the Euroleague and will not play in the Israeli Premier League. Sundov, 24, arrived in Israel yesterday and will play for his new team tomorrow in a warm-up match against Red Star Belgrade ahead of the next stage of the Euroleague next week.
Sundov most recently played with the New York Knicks after beginning the 2003-04 season with the Cleveland Cavaliers and has also played with the Boston Celtics, the Indiana Pacers and the Dallas Mavericks.
Sundov was picked by the Mavericks in the second round of the 1998 NBA draft, but in two years with the club played only 72 minutes. In his two years with Indiana, he played 33 games, averaging 2.5 points per game in seven minutes of court time.
Maccabi coach Pini Gershon said yesterday that Sundov would add a lot of mass under the basket. "You don't see a lot of players of his size in Europe," Gershon said.
But Maccabi's enthusiasm isn't shared by basketball pundits in Israel or Croatia. Sundov played against Israel at the world under 21 championship in Japan three years ago and was cut down by Yaniv Green and Shahar Gordon, as Israel won 82-70.
A Croatian basketball journalist said yesterday that if Maccabi was looking to Sundov for 10 minutes a game, it might get what it wanted, but if the club was looking to Sundov to take it to the final four on his own shoulders, it was barking up the wrong tree. "Sundov doesn't have the experience to play at the highest level. He has spent most of his time in the NBA sitting on the bench, and when he has seen the court, it has been mostly in garbage time. He may be massive, but he likes to shoot from outside so don't expect a real defensive stalwart. He isn't physical enough."
Euroleague draw today
The draw for the second phase of the Euroleague takes place today in Barcelona. The 16 teams remaining in the competition, including Maccabi Tel Aviv, will be drawn into four groups with the teams seeded according to their standings in the first group stage.
The top teams in the each of the three first stage groups, along with Maccabi Tel Aviv, which finished as the best second-place finisher, will head their second-stage groups. The top four teams at the end of the second stage will advance to the Final Four in Tel Aviv on April 29.
Milwaukee Bucks Toni Kukoc of Croatia, right goes up for a basket against Los Angeles Clippers, Matt Barnes, left in the first half of a Saturday Feb. 21, 2004 game in Milwaukee. (AP Photo/Darren Hauck)
Editor's note:
Each time Kukoc plays Croatia is mentioned. I appreciate that very much. He is fighting like a lion, yes for himself, but giving all of us a credit. Let's be thankful for talented people like Toni. More talent we support on the way up, more will they bring back on the way down.
As a subscriber to the Archaeology magazine I wrote the following letter to the editor - to put Croatia on the map, so to speak! Their answer follows. Hilda
Thought you would be interested to know that there has been a major Bronze Age discovery in Croatia in the Cetina river bed. According to a team of experts from the University of Birmingham, items discovered include more than 90 swords, a Roman legionnaire's dagger complete with sheath, more than 30 Greco-Illyrian helmets, plus numerous items of jewelry, axes and spearheads.
Initial surveys indicate that the finds span a period from 6,000 BC onwards. They include long timbers, which show evidence of late Neolithic or early Bronze Age wooden settlements.
The project leader, Dr. Vincent Gaffney described the find as "once in a lifetime discovery". The team plans to return in May for further surveys.
By the way, Croatia has many interesting cultural and archaeological sites, little of it generally known in the rest of the West.
Sincerely,
Hilda M. Foley 13272 Orange Knoll Santa Ana, CA 92705
PS. Would you be so kind and answer by e-mail from which month and year was the issue with the Slavic Pompeii on the front page, which is shown on page 57 advertisement of the Nov./Dec. 2003 magazine . Thank you.
ANSWER:
Hi Hilda, We think this is great stuff, too--in fact, I'll be traveling to Croatia to spend some time at the dig for a feature story about the discoveries. We haven't yet determined what issue the article will run in, so you'll just have to keep reading. :)
Sincerely,
Jennifer Pinkowski Assistant Editor Archaeology 36-36 33rd St. Long Island City, NY 11106 USA 718-472-3050 (tel) ext. 15 718-472-3051 (fax) jennifer@archaeology.org
Program Associate - National Foundations in Western Balkans
The Western Balkans Department is looking for a full time Program Associate to provide program and administrative support. Responsibilities will include: assist with oversight of department; prepare draft of budget and monitor monthly expenses; answer all department mail and queries; maintain filing system; coordinate itineraries for Regional Director and handle travel arrangements; process expense reports and department expenses through Accounting Department; keep daily calendar of meetings and conferences for Regional Director; coordinates with local board members of National Foundations regarding changes in members, visits to N.Y. office; maintain department archives; draft correspondence and memos for Regional Director; meet as required with representatives of organizations interested in foundation-funded activities; help organize regional conferences; keep current on political and other developments in the regions of the Western Balkans; translate relevant documents from Serbo/Bosnian/Croatian into English.
Additional Qualifications: Prior related office/administrative experience; detail-oriented; highly motivated team player, with ability to work well independently; excellent written and verbal English communication skills; highly computer literate (knowledge of Microsoft Office, all applications, experience with databases, Internet research); able to draft very literate correspondence; excellent interpersonal skills; flexible, able to prioritize work; knowledge of the region of the Balkans and East and Central Europe; knowledge of the Serbian/Bosnian/Croatian languages. Able to begin in March 2004.
This position is based out of our New York office.
How to Apply: Send resume, cover letter and salary requirements immediately to:
Open Society Institute Human Resources - CODE PA/WBALK 400 West 59th Street New York, New York 10019 Fax to: (212) 548-4675
No phone calls, please. The Open Society Institute is an Equal Opportunity Employer.
Have you ever wondered about your Croatian roots? Why did your family leave Croatia? Why did they choose to come to America? How did they live in Stari Kraj? Who were their parents and grandparents? Did they have any brothers or sisters? Are their any relatives in Europe? Was your name changed at Ellis Island? These are the kinds of topics we will be discussing in the genealogy seminar and showing you how to go about getting answers to the questions above.
Some folks from the Denver, Colorado area have requested a seminar. These seminars are always fun and informative with nearly everyone going away with new information about their Croatian genealogy and how to find their personal family information. Some even go away with specific information about their family!
Our next seminar is planned for Saturday, March 20th, from 8:30 AM to 4: 30 PM. We will be covering the following topics.
History of Croatia and origins of Croatians How our ancestors lived in the "old country" Croatian immigration to America and the journey to America, How to get started with your family tree The do's and don'ts of genealogy How to translating Croatian records How to locate records such as birth records, marriage records, death records, census records in the US and in Croatia Translation of given names (with Croatian, English, Italian and Latin), Meaning Meaning of surnames and categories of surnames Figuring Family relationships
During the seminar we will demonstrate the value of the internet in doing family research online.
Also included in the seminar is my Croatian genealogy handbook for you to take with you.
Seating is limited and registration is required. To register please call Bob Jerin at 216-991-2310 or email me at rjerin26@yahoo.com
The seminar will be held at Stanley British Primary School located at 350 Quebec Ct on the old Lowrey Air Force Base.
Driving Directions
From the north Take I 70 to Quebec St. take Quebec St south past 6th Ave 2and ½ blocks, stanley british primary school will be on your left
From the South Take Leetsdale Rd. to Quebec go north past Aemeda into what was the old lorey air force base, stay on Quebec and look for the school on your right.
To reserve your place please call Bob Jerin at 216.991.2310 or John Bud at 303.520.5256
Video art emerged in this part of the world - the western region of southeast Europe - during the 1960s and was connected with the activities of galleries of modern art in urban centers, which were concentrating largely at that time on classic presentations of the visual arts. At first there were intermittent, even timid showings of video art by visual and, somewhat more rarely, film artists. A particularly important factor was the GEFF Festival (Genre Experimental Film Festival) held in Zagreb throughout the 1960s and the early 1970s. It was only after the subsequent expansion of various reviews and festivals of experimental film and the institutionalization of media arts that Croatian artists, too, were encouraged to make creative efforts in producing video work. Perhaps the key encouraging factor was the inclusion of several Croatian artists (Gotovac, Galeta, and Vladic from the neighboring republic) in the selection of the American Art Federation, which presented a circulating international package of experimental film and video. Audiences from various continents saw this conceptual package, making it possible for the first time for a large number of viewers to come to know work from these regions. There was a lack of the essential institutional support in funding this work in a systematic way and it is only recently that State and city cultural centers and independent production companies have shown practical interest in this work. The role of the Croatian Film League has been particularly important and it has backed an extraordinarily large number of independent and experimental videos and alternative films. A major contribution to these activities and the increase in the number of media artists has been made by The Centre for Multimedia Research of the SC in Zagreb with its screenings and promotions, and by the annual International Festival of New Film and Video held in Split, and the media activities of the Art Workshop Lazareti in Dubrovnik. For ten years now it has been possible to take courses in media arts, experimental film and video, digital photography and the like at Croatian art academies. The frequent visits by media artists from America and Europe, and even from the Far East, provide a sound insight into the level of creativity, which to a considerable extent also raises the artistic level of work by domestic authors. At present, foreign financial institutions are giving support to video and experimental film authors, unlike the situation earlier when exclusively film authors were considered, largely those making feature or documentary films. Various successful participations in international festivals, starting with London in 1979 and then Rotterdam, Lodz, Copenhagen, Paris, Cologne, Karlsruhe, Frankfurt, and so on, lead domestic institutions to provide greater support to video work. It really took time for exceptional individuals such as Sanja Ivekovic, Dalibor Martinis, Breda Beban, Hrvoje Horvatic, Goran Trbuljak, working tirelessly under their own steam, almost illegally to produce work that later attracted international attention and recognition. Three recent programs of art video and experimental film consisted of the work of three generations, from pioneers such as Gotovac, Faktor, Trbuljak, Martinis and others, through the middle generation to the youngest, largely made up of students from art academies in Split, Dubrovnik and Zagreb. The first program is dedicated to the clearly conceived issue of space and consists largely of post structural video works and films. The work in this group is no longer imbued with “mythopoetic” elements, as the prominent American theoretician Paul Adams Sitney established so precisely so long ago in relation to experimental films from these regions; it is more oriented to the examination and analysis of simple conceptual patterns. Almost all the video works in the second program have emerged from the artists' concentration on the relations between time, movement and the acoustic relations of water, and on self-portraits and performances. These works show a pronounced aesthetic level and poetics in the search for identity. Along with the symbolic, there is also the presence of the ecologically admonishing element in this group of work by largely young artists. The third program is made up of work by exceptionally active artists of the middle generation (some of whom were forced to leave the country in times of political and other conflicts in these regions since, due to the situation, they lacked conditions for normal work and personal creative development). They spent a large part of their time abroad in furthering their training (at, for example, the Rijks Akademie, the St Martin's School of Art, and the like) and showing their video work in various well-known media institutions and galleries, and taking part in festivals held in cities such as New York, Amsterdam, Cologne, and London. Their work shows a shift of sorts from customary narration and dramaturgy, or they emerge in an unusual mode, akin to the documentary. These are the very personal stories of authors encountering surprising rhythms and events in major urban centers, and their reflections on current, contemporary events that can be shocking.
Ivan Paic MM Centre SC
RECENTNI HRVATSKI VIDEO I EKSPERIMENTALNI FILM
Nastanak video umjetnosti na (ovim prostorima) zapadnom podrucju juogistoka Europe javlja se 6o-ih godina i nadovezuje se na aktivnosti iskljucivo, galerija modernih umjetnosti u urbanim sredinama, koje se tada bave uglavnom prezentiranjem klasicnih postava likovnih umjetnosti. Isprva bilježimo tek povremena, sramežljiva pojavljivanja video radova likovnih i nešto rijede filmskih umjetnika. Narocito je važna pojava i realizacija GEFF festivala( Genre Experimental Film Festival) održavanih u Zagrebu, 60—ih i ranih 70-godina Tek naknadnom ekspanzijom raznih smotri i festivala eksperimentalnog filma te institucionaliziranjem medijskih umjetnosti i hrvatski umjetnici bivaju ohrabreni u kreativnom nastojanjima unutar stvaranja video radova. Možda je kljucan i pozitivno provokativan te izrazito ohrabrujuci moment , uvrštavanje nekoliko hrvatskih umjetnika (Gotovac, Galeta, te Vladic iz susjedne republike) u selekciju Americke federacije za umjetnost koja predstavlja cirkulirajuci medunarodni paket eksperimentalnog filma i videa. Taj konceputalni paket vidjeti ce publika raznih kontinenata i prvi puta ce nešto veci broj gledatelja se upoznati sa radovima iz ovih podrucja. Institucionalna , neophodna pratnja u financiranju radova sistematski nedostaje gotovo do nedavno, tek u posljednje vrijeme najviše državne , gradske kulturne i nezavisne producentske kuce , (posebno je ovdje važno naglasiti ulogu Hrvatskog filmskog saveza) , sa iznimno velikim uspjehom produciraju radove ovog posebnog medijskog podrucja i to visokim brojem videa radova i alternativnog filma. Važan doprinos umjetnickom djelovanju i povecavanju broja medijskih umjetnika redoviti je prikazivalacki rad Centra za multimedijska istraživanja SC te takoder šestogodišnja aktivnost Medunarodnog festivala novog filma i videa iz Splita i medijska djelatnost Art radionice Lazareti iz Dubrovnika. Od prije desetak godina na hrvatskim likovnim akademijama moguce se studijski opredijeliti za medijske umjetnosti, eksperimentalnog filma, videa , digitalne fotografije i tome sl. Ucestalim gostovanjima medijskih umjetnika iz Amerike i Europe pa cak i sa Dalekog istoka, dobiva se uvid u stvaralacki nivo, što u velikoj mjeri podiže i umjetnicku razinu domacih autora. U sadašnjem momentu to se od strane financijskih institucija, poima kao normalan odnos i pruža se podrška autorima u njihovom nastojanjima, a ne samo, kao što se to dogadalo ranije, iskljucivo fimskim autorima, uglavnom vezanim za igrani ili dokumentarni film. Razna uspješna sudjelovanja na medunarodnim festivalima u Londonu 1979. , pa potom Rotterdamu, Lodzu, Copenhagenu, Parizu, Koelnu, Karlsruheu, Frankfurtu uvjerava i ohrabruje domace institucije u pravcu vece podrške u nastanku video radova. Trebalo je i zaista je prošlo mnogo vremena dok su izuzetni pojedinci poput Sanje Ivekovic, Dalibora Martinisa, Brede Beban , Hrvoja Horvatica , Gorana Trbuljaka, neumorno i vlastitoj režiji gotovo ilegalno producirali kasnije medunarodno percpirane i priznate radove.
Tri recentana programa umjetnickog videa i eksperimentalnog filma sastavljena su od umjetnika tri generacije, pionira poput Gotovca, Faktora, Trbuljaka, Martinisa i dr pa preko umjetnika srednje dobi i najmladih , uglavnom studenata likovnih akademija iz Splita, Dubrovnika i Zagreba.
Prvi je program posvecen poimanju postora, koncepcijski je jasno osmišljen i u njemu se nalaze uglavnom poststrukturalisticki video radovi i filmovi. Radovi u ovom sklopu više nisu protkani “mitopoetskim” elementima, kao što je to veoma davno i precizno ustanovio prominentni amerciki teoreticar Paul Adams Sitney, za eksperimentalne filmove nastale na ovim prostorima, vec su vise usmjereni na ispitavanje i razradu jednostavnih koncepcijskih predložaka. U drugom programu su gotovo svi video radovi nastali koncentriranjem umjetnika na odnose vremena , kretanjima i akustickim relacijama vode i autoportreta i performancea . Radovi su izraženog medijskog ispitivanja, estetski povišene i naglašene poeticnosti te potrage za identitetom. Uz simbolicki, prisutan je ekološki upozoravajuci element uglavnom umjetnika mlade generacije.
U trecem programu, su izrazito aktivni umjetnici srednje generacije, (neki od njih su bili prisiljeni napustiti zemlju u vremena politickih i drugih konflikata unutar ovih podrucja, jer s obzirom na okolnosti, nisu imali ama baš gotovo nikakve uvjete na normalan rad i osobno kreativno razvijanje). Veliki dio svog vremena proveli su educirajuci se (npr. Rijks Akademie, St. Martin School of Art i td.) i prikazujuci svoje video radove u raznim , uglavnom renomiranim medijskim institucijama i galerijama ,i sudjelovali na festivalima u gradovima poput New Yorka, Amsterdama, Koelna, Londona itd. Njihovi su radovi stanoviti odmak od uobicajene naracije i dramaturgije, ili se ona pojavljuje na neobican nacin, povezana s dokumentaristikom. To su veoma osobne price autora suocenih sa iznenadujucim ritmovima i dogadajima u velikim urbanih sredinama, odnosno njihovi refleksi na kurentna, suvremena, ponekad i šokantna zbivanja.
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